Arsenal: Emile Smith Rowe has chance to build on early promise

Emile Smith Rowe was one of the early season stars for Arsenal in the Europa League, but a frustrating injury has seen him slip down the pecking order. It is time for him reclaim some ground and build on the early promise he showed in the first part of the season.

Young forward Emile Smith Rowe was one of the early season stars for Arsenal in the Europa League, but a frustrating injury has seen him slip down the pecking order. With games coming up against Manchester United in the FA Cup and Bate Borisov in the Europa League, Smith Rowe now has the chance to stake his claim for a role in the Premier League.

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The displays of Arsenal’s young players have been a real positive this season, with Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Bukayo Saka and Smith Rowe himself all performing well at various points. Smith Rowe was the standout performer early on, with goals against Vorskla, Qarabag and Blackpool, proving he is not overawed by first-team football, despite being just 18 years old.

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Sadly, he suffered an injury setback just as it looked like he could start challenging for starts in the Premier League. Combined with the return on Maitland-Niles and the form of Willock and Saka he has fallen down the pecking order somewhat. The upcoming cup games, though, present him and his academy teammates with a chance to impress and force some of the Gunners’ more established players to start looking over their shoulders.

Smith Rowe showed during his short time in the team that he has fantastic technical ability and an eye for goal. He scored a brilliant goal in preseason against Atletico Madrid and his dribbling and pace earmark him as a player that possesses qualities that the current squad is lacking.

Smith Rowe will also be aware of the rumours surrounding Denis Suarez and the admission by Emery that Arsenal need another winger, as well as the return of Reiss Nelson in the summer. As a result, the path to the first team could be far less clear next season, so it is important he kicks on while the opportunity is there.

As a young prospect in football, when an opening arrives to grab first-team minutes, you cannot afford to let it slip through your fingers. It might not come around again, as many Arsenal prospects have discovered in their past. It is part and parcel of being in a competitive sport.

With the Cardiff game on Tuesday, Emery is expected to rotate against Manchester United and Smith Rowe is exactly the type of player that could expose United’s problematic right-back position. His pace and skill, in tandem with Willock and Iwobi, will also allow Emery to rest the midfield players that covered so much ground against Chelsea — Arsenal never ran as far as they did against Chelsea since Opta started tracking the statistic.

Emery has shown he is happy to give youth a chance this season and he has used Maitland-Niles and Matteo Guendouzi in a range of different roles in the Premier League. Barring injury Smith Rowe may have been included in that bracket. So it is now up to him to make up the ground he has lost.